Make a lava lamp

Before you read this post, I have a confession to make.  I have a school girl crush on Steve Spangler.  He's so dreamy and he makes science fun.  How can any person resist? *Sigh*  Mind you, this isn't my first school girl crush.  Back in grad school I thought my stats professor was super brainy and super dreamy too.  *Double sigh*

Ok... moving on...  Last week Baby Chuck and I made this lava lamp using directions from Steve Spangler's super awesome website.  Doesn't it look cool?

 Here's what it looked like when put a flashlight behind the bottle::

Whoa- swirly sci-fi effects

Want to make your own lava lamp?  (Come on, I know you do!)  If so, read on, fellow crapter!

Materials:
- empty bottle and cap (we used a soda bottle) <-- crap!
- vegetable oil
- water
- dark food coloring (we chose blue)
- alka-seltzer tablet (divided into smaller pieces)
- flashlight (optional- for alien effect)

Directions:
1.  Fill your bottle 3/4 full with vegetable oil.  Then, pour water into the bottle until it's almost full.  Make sure to lave enough room at the top of the bottle for the alka-seltzer reaction, otherwise liquid will spill out.
2.  Add 10 drops of food coloring.  (Watch the water turn a different color as the oil remains the same.)
3.  Drop your alka-seltzer pieces one by one into the bottle and watch the water bubble and fizzle.
4.  (Optional:  Put a flashlight behind the bottle and turn off the lights to see sci-fi alien effect)
5.  Once you've dissolve all your alka-seltzer pieces, screw the cap on and tip the bottle back and forth.  Watch the water and oil roll around.  Feel relaxed.

Smiles

Oi vey, it's cold outside.  Baby Chuck and I are fighting the winter doldrums by visiting the shops and hanging out with friends at the library.  

Here are a couple of photos to cheer you on throughout the rest of the week.

Only two more days till the weekend!

Make your own rainbow flowers

Last weekend, I made these rainbow flowers.

Aren't they purty?

Wanna bring some rainbow cheer into your life? 

They're easy to make.  Plus, you get to see science at work.

Cowboy gear part 2: Cardboard tissue box cowboy hat

 Cardboard Tissue Box Cowboy Hat

And here's how you crapt a cowboy hat from cardboard...
(Directions modified from a video that I viewed here)

Cowboy gear part 1: Make your own sheriff star

Hi everyone!
Here's how I crapted Baby Chuck's Sheriff star:

Materials:
- cake tin <-- crap!
- cereal box <--- crap!
- scissors
- strong glue (I used Aleene's)
- thin permanent marker
- packing tape
- pen
- safety pin
- felt (optional)
- printout of a sheriff star

 Directions:
1.  Glue your cake tin to your cereal box.
2.  Print out an image of a sheriff star that you like.  Cut that star out.
3.  Trace the star onto the cake tin.  Trace and color over the "sheriff" lettering too.  Lift up your paper star and reveal your "sheriff" imprint.

 4.  Cut out the star from the cake tin.  Use your permanent marker and trace over your lettering and any decorative designs that you want to stand out.

5.  Use your packing tape to "laminate" your star.

 6.  Cut out a piece of felt (or cardboard), and tape it to the back of your sheriff star to secure a safety pin to your star.  (Make sure to orient your safety pin so that the star sits the right way when pinned.)

Enjoy!  Yee-haw!